If you’re looking for a photographer in Fort Myers, Florida, you’ve come to the right place! We love capturing beautiful memories for our clients. From the beach to the park, urban or rural, we have many location recommendations to fit your vision. Call today at 239-297-7159, or email laura@lauramichelephotos.com to chat about your next photo session!

Family Portraits in the Park

Today I wanted to share with you a gorgeous session with my friend Lea and her family. We chose one of my favorite spots – Koreshan State Park. There is so much variety there, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Just have a look for yourself!

How beautiful is this family and this location?!

If you’re looking for a photographer in Fort Myers, Florida or any of the surrounding areas, please contact us to schedule your next session! Thanks so much for stopping by, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Laura Michele Photos offers on-location portrait photography services throughout Lee and Collier counties. Please have a look around our site and contact us with any questions.

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/photographer-in-fort-myers/feed/0Family Photographer Marco Island | Garrity Family Portraitshttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photographer-marco-island/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photographer-marco-island/#respondThu, 11 Aug 2016 19:06:23 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3078If you’re looking for a family photographer Marco Island, I hope you’ll consider Laura Michele Photos. Here is a gorgeous family photo session I shot recently on Marco Island. The sunset was breathtaking, and this family was as wonderful as could be. Summer weather in Southwest Florida makes for some tricky scheduling, but when it’s... Read More

If you’re looking for a family photographer Marco Island, I hope you’ll consider Laura Michele Photos.

Here is a gorgeous family photo session I shot recently on Marco Island. The sunset was breathtaking, and this family was as wonderful as could be. Summer weather in Southwest Florida makes for some tricky scheduling, but when it’s not raining at sunset, it’s doing this! The lovely Garrity family was on vacation in Marco Island. Would you believe this was their first family photo session since their oldest were little? So glad they have these beautiful memories captured forever!

In addition to family beach photos, we offer on-location sessions from Marco Island to Captiva Island, and everywhere in between. We listen to your needs for the session, and then make recommendations for locations to meet your needs. Please consider Laura Michele Photos for your family photography needs.

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photographer-marco-island/feed/0Family Reunion Photos | Naples Beachhttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-reunion-photos-naples-beach/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-reunion-photos-naples-beach/#respondWed, 06 Apr 2016 17:04:32 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3069Family reunion photos are becoming very popular, and I can see why! And what better place to have a family reunion than Naples Beach or Fort Myers Beach? More and more, families are going on vacation together and capturing their memories with professional photos. My family was big on reunions, and family reunion photos are... Read More

Family reunion photos are becoming very popular, and I can see why! And what better place to have a family reunion than Naples Beach or Fort Myers Beach? More and more, families are going on vacation together and capturing their memories with professional photos.

My family was big on reunions, and family reunion photos are some of my favorites to look back on! Seeing those images brings you right back to that trip filled with love and laughter! The memories of your whole family together are priceless. And nothing can spark a memory quite like a photograph! Professional family reunion photos were probably never considered when I was growing up, and sadly, many of our precious images are showing their age.

Laura Michele Photos offers heirloom-quality prints and products made to withstand the test of time! We also offer digital images so that you can always keep an extra copy of your precious images safe. Family reunions don’t happen every day (or even every year!), so join the latest trend and have your family reunion photos professionally made!

This gorgeous family was visiting Naples, Florida from all over the United States, and wanted their precious memories preserved for generations to come. These are some of my favorite sessions, because they become several sessions in one. We of course capture the whole group together, but then we get to break out into tons of other sets. I love getting images of grandparents with all of their grandkids together at once! Plus, it’s a great time to get an updated family portrait of individual families, as well as photos of the kids. These family reunion photos make AWESOME wall grouping displays, and the gift ideas are endless!

Book your session for family reunion photos today!

Please don’t miss the opportunity to have professional portraits made while your whole family is on vacation together! Contact Laura Michele Photos for your next vacation session!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-reunion-photos-naples-beach/feed/0Fort Myers Beach Photographer | Family Vacation Photoshttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/fort-myers-beach-photographer-family-vacation-photos/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/fort-myers-beach-photographer-family-vacation-photos/#commentsFri, 28 Aug 2015 01:36:09 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3055Fort Myers Beach Photographer Laura Michele Photos captures family vacation photos for this gorgeous family Working around Mother Nature during the Summer months in Southwest Florida can often be a challenge, especially for outdoor family photo sessions. This turned out to be the case with this family on vacation from Cincinnati this summer. After our... Read More

Working around Mother Nature during the Summer months in Southwest Florida can often be a challenge, especially for outdoor family photo sessions. This turned out to be the case with this family on vacation from Cincinnati this summer. After our previously-scheduled sunset session was rained out, we opted for a morning session instead. If you’re at all familiar with Fort Myers Beach’s summertime weather, you know there’s always a pretty good chance of showers at sunset. But the sunsets are just breathtaking, so it’s definitely worth a shot.

For this family who was on vacation on Fort Myers Beach, our sunset session didn’t quite work out. But the following morning was just perfect for their family photo session! And who doesn’t love at least a 10 degree difference in temperature? Ha! This session was back in June (I know, I know…I’m seriously the worst blogger ever. Clearly.), so even at 8:30am is was scorching hot! We did our best to stay in the shade, but what gorgeous images came as a result. Here are just a few of the highlights from this beautiful family photo session at Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Enjoy!

If your family is planning a vacation to Southwest Florida, please consider Laura Michele Photos to help document and preserve this precious family memory. Even if you’re already here, please contact me for any last-minute openings!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/fort-myers-beach-photographer-family-vacation-photos/feed/3Southwest Florida Mother’s Day Giveaway 2015 Entry Detailshttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/southwest-florida-mothers-day-giveaway-2015-entry-details/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/southwest-florida-mothers-day-giveaway-2015-entry-details/#respondFri, 24 Apr 2015 20:00:12 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3045I’m so excited to partner with other local businesses to offer a Southwest Florida Mother’s Day giveaway prize package for one lucky local winner! This giveaway package is valued at over $850, and includes prizes from some awesome businesses in our area. The giveaway is being hosted by SWFL Kids and Family, and you can... Read More

I’m so excited to partner with other local businesses to offer a Southwest Florida Mother’s Day giveaway prize package for one lucky local winner! This giveaway package is valued at over $850, and includes prizes from some awesome businesses in our area. The giveaway is being hosted by SWFL Kids and Family, and you can find the details on the SWFL Kids and Family Facebook page here. Laura Michele Photos is donating a full family photo session and one free high-resolution image of your choice to be selected at the lucky winner’s viewing and ordering session! Some of the other prizes include a mani/pedi, a facial, some cute bags and totes, chocolate samples, jewelry, and more! There are 17 sponsors in total, so make sure you check out this amazing giveaway! I wish I could enter win, too, but I don’t think that’d fly.

The giveaway ends at 10:00am on May 4, 2015, and the winner will be announced on the SWFL Kids and Family Facebook page. There’s still plenty of time to get your entry in for this Southwest Florida Mother’s Day giveaway!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/southwest-florida-mothers-day-giveaway-2015-entry-details/feed/0Why Leave it to the Pros? | Hiring a Professional Photographerhttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/why-leave-it-to-the-pros-hiring-a-professional-photographer/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/why-leave-it-to-the-pros-hiring-a-professional-photographer/#respondThu, 23 Apr 2015 19:59:05 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3038The Importance of Hiring a Professional Photographer. And Barber. The photo in this post is not technically perfect. Not even close. My light stand fell for the whoknowshowmany-th time, and I was testing out my lighting to see why it was making that weirder-than-usual sound. My only available subject was my two-year-old son, and he’s…well,... Read More

The Importance of Hiring a Professional Photographer. And Barber.

The photo in this post is not technically perfect. Not even close. My light stand fell for the whoknowshowmany-th time, and I was testing out my lighting to see why it was making that weirder-than-usual sound. My only available subject was my two-year-old son, and he’s…well, he’s the child of a professional photographer. More often than not, he’s faster than my shutter speed. It’s amazing. I could be sneaking around the corner trying to capture a photo of my completely distracted toddler, finger on the trigger, and he’s gone! Needless to say, photos of him looking AND smiling are few and far between. So even though this picture is not technically perfect, he’s my baby, and boy does he look cute!

I decided to go ahead and do some post-processing on the image to see if I could make the technical imperfections less obvious. I wanted to leave the crumbs on his face, and the food on his shirt, because it really showed him in all his glory at two years old. But I couldn’t take my eyes off of that crazy hair. Partially because that’s where the focus fell (not intentionally – he was rocking on his rocking horse, and again, this was not intended to be a “keeper”), but mostly because of that ridiculous haircut. You see, this was me trying to save a buck by being a DIY-er.

For his first haircut we took him to a children’s hair salon that had all of the necessary tools to keep the little ones distracted and still. They had little cars and firetrucks and airplanes with steering wheels (and seat belts!) as seats, TVs with a wide selection of children’s DVDs, and hair stylists who specialized in kids’ haircuts. I stressed and worried about how he would behave, and how his previously-beautiful (albeit way too long) hair would look after this ordeal, but these specialists with all of their tools rocked it! But…it was $25 for this special service.

I quickly realized that my son would need to have his hair cut every few weeks, and at $25 a pop, this would add up to around $500 a year! This seemed outrageous for a two-year-old boy, so I decided to explore other options. Our next stop was one of those discount haircut places. You know the ones. They’ll cut anyone’s hair for about ten bucks. Well, they clearly don’t specialize in children. The lady we got expected my toddler to not only “keep his head down,” but also remain still while she butchered his lovely locks. She was frustrated, and so was he (I won’t get into how I felt). She didn’t care how it turned out because she knew people would keep coming there for the super-low price. It was then that I got the BRILLIANT idea that I could do at least that good of a job, and wouldn’t have to waste $10 to do it.

One day I decided to take a trip to my local beauty supply store. I bought some real-deal hair-cutting shears, a cape, and a spray bottle. I had all the tools the pros used! Next on the list, I watched a few YouTube videos and read a few tutorials on how to cut boys’ hair. I was all set! How hard could it be, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. It was a nightmare from start to finish, and it certainly wasn’t as easy as it looked! This photo is a couple of weeks after that terrible day, so it’s even had a chance to grow out. It was worse, believe it or not.

As I edit the photo it hits me – this is how many people feel about photography! The expert photographers who specialize in different genres tend to be what some people consider expensive. But they have invested thousands of hours, and even more dollars into their education and gear. But you’re guaranteed an awesome experience, and beautiful photographs to hang on your walls. Then there are the budget photographers. There are some good ones, but more often than not, you get what you pay for. Many times they aren’t a legal business, so they haven’t invested their time or money into making a name and reputation for themselves. And some even think that, like me with the haircutting, all it takes is watching a few YouTube videos and reading a few tutorials and you’re ready to be a pro. Then, like my experience with my son’s haircut, you leave feeling like you could’ve done at least as good of a job yourself without wasting the money. Ah, and that’s where the real trouble comes in. While I whole-heartedly feel that parents should be capturing all of the precious moments in their family’s day-to-day lives, I also know how nearly impossible it is to get professional quality photos of your own little ones (even as a pro – reference the image above). Let’s face it; they don’t listen to us nearly as well as they’d listen to a perfect stranger off the street. They haven’t had a chance to test their boundaries with them yet. So that, along with the countless hours and dollars a professional photographer invests into his or her business, is the reason why hiring a professional photographer is so important. AND a professional barber!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/why-leave-it-to-the-pros-hiring-a-professional-photographer/feed/0Family Photos Fort Myers FL | Family Reunion Sessionhttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photos-fort-myers-fl-family-reunion-session/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photos-fort-myers-fl-family-reunion-session/#respondFri, 17 Apr 2015 02:40:38 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3028Laura Michele Photos captures three generations in this family portrait session – check out this family reunion session of family photos Fort Myers FL Welcome back to Laura Michele Photos! Today we have an awesome family reunion session to share. This family came to visit the Fort Myers, FL area around Thanksgiving, and wanted to... Read More

Laura Michele Photos captures three generations in this family portrait session – check out this family reunion session of family photos Fort Myers FL

Welcome back to Laura Michele Photos! Today we have an awesome family reunion session to share. This family came to visit the Fort Myers, FL area around Thanksgiving, and wanted to get some photos of the whole family together. Being a military family, they weren’t sure when everyone would be in the same area again, so they wanted to cherish their time together, and capture it in photographs. The grandparents of the family live in Southwest Florida part of the year, and spend the rest of their time in West Virginia. Their son and daughter and their families came to visit them here for Thanksgiving, and Laura, their daughter, contacted me for the session. I was thrilled to do it! These are some of my favorite kinds of sessions.

If you are in the Fort Myers FL area, or plan on coming here for vacation, I’d love to capture this time in photographs for you! Whether you want beautiful beach photos on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, Marco Island, or Bonita Beach, Laura Michele Photos has you covered. Or, if you’re like Laura and prefer to have your family photos made in one of our lovely parks, I have many that I can recommend! Please visit my contact page to find ways to get in touch and book your family photo session today! Thanks so much for dropping by, and I hope you’ll stick around and check out more of Laura Michele Photos’ website.

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/family-photos-fort-myers-fl-family-reunion-session/feed/0Estero High School Senior Photographer |Savannah & Tylerhttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/estero-high-school-senior-photographer-savannah-tyler/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/estero-high-school-senior-photographer-savannah-tyler/#commentsWed, 08 Apr 2015 16:11:20 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=3007Estero High School Senior Photographer | Laura Michele Photos There are very few times in life more memorable than your Senior year of high school. So many “lasts” and goodbyes, yet to many exciting new possibilities! The friendships you’ve formed feel like family, and some may even have that high school sweetheart. The entire year... Read More

Estero High School Senior Photographer | Laura Michele Photos

There are very few times in life more memorable than your Senior year of high school. So many “lasts” and goodbyes, yet to many exciting new possibilities! The friendships you’ve formed feel like family, and some may even have that high school sweetheart. The entire year is so well documented, and you probably have a photo from every random thing you’ve done! You will cherish these pictures when you’re older, so I beg you to print those babies out! The chances are slim that Facebook or Instagram will still be around when you’re older, so print, print, print! I have boxes and boxes of old photos from my teenage years, and I so enjoy looking at them. I even made a scrapbook out of some of the favorites. Digital is convenient, and awesome in its own way, but it’s always good to have print copies too!

Ok, enough about that. On to these beautiful seniors! Here are a couple of true high school sweethearts – Savannah and Tyler. They’ve been together since the 8th grade, and throughout their entire high school career! Savannah will be going to Florida Gulf Coast University, and Tyler will be going to University of Florida in the Fall. Both of their families were absolutely wonderful, and I truly enjoyed working with them.

Savannah chose Koreshan State Park in Estero for the location for her senior portraits. Of course I’ve done many family sessions here, but never a high school senior session! It was absolutely perfect, and I think it fit her personality, which is the goal for senior pictures. Here are just a few of the awesome pictures from their session. I had such a hard time culling this session, and their parents had a hard time choosing too! There were so many beautiful photos – I hope you enjoy them, too!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/estero-high-school-senior-photographer-savannah-tyler/feed/8The “T” Family Portraits | Fort Myers Photographershttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/the-t-family-portraits-fort-myers-photographers/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/the-t-family-portraits-fort-myers-photographers/#respondSun, 29 Mar 2015 18:53:11 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=2988Fort Myers photographers are always on the lookout for stunning backdrops for their family photo sessions. This place turned out to be the perfect place for an outdoor photo session in Southwest Florida! While it’s one of my favorite places to visit with my own family, I never considered it to be a beautiful backdrop... Read More

Fort Myers photographers are always on the lookout for stunning backdrops for their family photo sessions. This place turned out to be the perfect place for an outdoor photo session in Southwest Florida! While it’s one of my favorite places to visit with my own family, I never considered it to be a beautiful backdrop for family photos. Boy, was I wrong! The Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve was our location of choice, and I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful family to compliment such a lovely setting. Funny enough, the Slough Preserve was where I earned my first 1st Place award in photography many years ago as an amateur photographer. The prize was an annual parking sticker to all of the parks in Fort Myers, Sanibel, Captival, and surrounding areas, and it part of what pushed me to become a professional photographer!

Ah, enough about me. Back to the gorgeous T family! They really look like professional models, don’t they? Mom is a Principal at a local school, and Dad works in real estate. And those boys…how handsome are they?? The whole family was so wonderful, too! This session was done before Christmas (I know, I have a lot of catching up to do!), and I just love how the leaves were changing colors. This isn’t always the case here in Southwest Florida, so it’s always a treat. I am sharing a few of the gorgeous images from this family photo session. I hope you enjoy!

If you are interested in having portraits made of your family, please visit my contact page to find ways to get in touch with me! I would be happy to discuss your custom photography session in detail. Thank you so much for stopping by!

]]>http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/the-t-family-portraits-fort-myers-photographers/feed/0Ft Myers Newborn Photographer | The Tiny Footprints Projecthttp://www.lauramichelephotos.com/ft-myers-newborn-photographer-the-tiny-footprints-project/
http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/ft-myers-newborn-photographer-the-tiny-footprints-project/#respondMon, 16 Mar 2015 22:56:27 +0000http://www.lauramichelephotos.com/?p=2968Ft Myers newborn photographer Laura Michele Photos partners with The Tiny Footprints Project to offer free photography services to parents and families of newborn premies staying in the NICU of local hospitals. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” -Pablo Picasso I spent several... Read More

Ft Myers newborn photographer Laura Michele Photos partners with The Tiny Footprints Project to offer free photography services to parents and families of newborn premies staying in the NICU of local hospitals.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” -Pablo Picasso

I spent several months thinking about and researching different ways I could give back to my community through my photography. It was very hard to decide on just one to start with, but I was very drawn to the cause of The Tiny Footprints Project. Being a newborn photographer, I know just how fleeting that precious newborn phase is. You blink, and they’re sitting up, crawling, walking, and so on. I felt so terrible for the families who had to spend months on end in the NICU of the hospital, and even worse about what their little babies were going through. It’s such a stressful time, full of worry, when the little life you just brought into the world can’t even come home with you.